Help stepping up my shirt selection

[Patrologia]

It is time to step up my shirts to be more interesting, so I'd like to gather some advice on what to look for. I think (I may be wrong) that others starting out would also benefit from this. I'm OK for staples, at least until I can afford to start really boosting the quality (not financially there yet) but I don't have much more interesting than pretty simple stripes, and not even much of that. I want shirts that can work with a suit, or at least with a SC and tie - not just weekend casual jacket and tie. Here are a couple of things I've gleaned - feel free to clarify or to disagree with any of this, and especially to add guidelines.

1.\tI've seen it suggested that good patterns to look for are "small" patterns that might register as solids from a moderate distance. Something like a very small houndstooth. Maybe Herringbone?
2.\tLooking through the WAYWRN threads I see a lot of people going beyond this, I see checks I like, stripes that don't stop at "basic," etc.

With both of these, I guess one thing I'm looking for is criteria to determine where the line is that makes a shirt too casual. I know eventually it will be second nature. For now, I'm hoping for rules.

...Little help?

 

[DerekS]

a good staple shirt is a bengal stripe in navy, maroon, or light blue. I REALLY like em with a contrasting white collar. Im sure others will differ on that.

but yeah, bengal stripe.

 

[Achilles_]

I like gingham right now, small or medium preferably.

 

[cold war painter]

Originally Posted by mikeH

I guess one thing I'm looking for is criteria to determine where the line is that makes a shirt too casual. I know eventually it will be second nature. For now, I'm hoping for rules.

"Too casual" depends as much as anything on your environment - what wouldn't work for American conservative business dress would be fine in a British university for example.

Having said that, as you've gathered, the smaller/neater the pattern, the less casual the effect. I personally like gingham or microchecks if I'm straying away from solids or stripes. Pink is a viable alternative to blue but that may be more of an English thing and not go down as well in the US.

The "folded shirt Appreciation" thread is a nice source of ideas.

 

[Patrologia]

Originally Posted by DerekS

a good staple shirt is a bengal stripe in navy, maroon, or light blue. I REALLY like em with a contrasting white collar. Im sure others will differ on that.

but yeah, bengal stripe.

I'm pretty sure that I know what bengal stripes are, because I think I've seen a post with pictures distinguishing the different kinds of stripes (pin, chalk, candy, etc) but I can't seem to find it now. Anyway, this is perhaps the easier first step.

Originally Posted by Achilles_

I like gingham right now, small or medium preferably.

This one is, for me, a little tougher. I like it when I see people do it on the WAYW-threads. This is where the casual-line question comes in. What makes a gingham shirt a suit and tie shirt versus a casual shirt that I forced a tie onto? There must be something, right, or are all of you just wearing ties and suits with inherently casual shirts and getting away with it because you look so doggone good doing it?

 

[DerekS]

Originally Posted by Achilles_

I like gingham right now, small or medium preferably.

im a big fan of medium gingham. I got a snag on my red and white picnic table cloth shirt and am heartbroken.

 

[Patrologia]

Originally Posted by cold war painter

"Too casual" depends as much as anything on your environment - what wouldn't work for American conservative business dress would be fine in a British university for example.
...
Pink is a viable alternative to blue but that may be more of an English thing and not go down as well in the US.

The "folded shirt Appreciation" thread is a nice source of ideas.

Missed this while writing, thanks for the reply.
I don't want to limit the advice to my own situation, in case someone else can benefit, but as for me, I'm splitting the difference between your options. I'm in an American University - I could get away with ripped jeans and the same smelly sweater if I wanted to! (This was the prof who preceded me in a class room a year or so ago - took me most of the semester to figure out why that room smelled like the building's air conditioning was musty.)

Pink is already in the mix - that has been there for years.

Also, thanks for the thread direction, I'll check it out

 

[Achilles_]

Originally Posted by mikeH

This one is, for me, a little tougher. I like it when I see people do it on the WAYW-threads. This is where the casual-line question comes in. What makes a gingham shirt a suit and tie shirt versus a casual shirt that I forced a tie onto? There must be something, right, or are all of you just wearing ties and suits with inherently casual shirts and getting away with it because you look so doggone good doing it?

From what I understand casual shirts are usually shorter, they don't have to be tucked in (but can be it would seem) They have to be well fitted. Well all shirts should be for that matter! I would think that the bigger the gingham pattern the more casual it is and vice versa.

Originally Posted by DerekS

im a big fan of medium gingham. I got a snag on my red and white picnic table cloth shirt and am heartbroken.

I've found that I don't mind darker colours in gingham, I have a dark blue and a darker purple That I love!

 

[Klobber]

Fine stripe or fine micro check shirts are very simple and elegant, and accompany a good selection of solid colors well.

 

[MBreinin]

Originally Posted by mikeH

This one is, for me, a little tougher. I like it when I see people do it on the WAYW-threads. This is where the casual-line question comes in. What makes a gingham shirt a suit and tie shirt versus a casual shirt that I forced a tie onto? There must be something, right, or are all of you just wearing ties and suits with inherently casual shirts and getting away with it because you look so doggone good doing it?

The collar is the first place I would look. I have gingham in both spread collar and buttondown collar. The spreads are obviously more conducive to wearing a tie....although the BD's can pull double duty. Typically, a buttondown is a more casual shirt.

Mike

 

[Patrologia]

OK, let me post a few specifics and see what comments they get. I'm posting pictures including the collar because that seems like it might be an important structural element, which is some of what I'm trying to figure out. Thanks for bearing with me.

I'm under the impression that this can work, and in fact would be acceptable in a conservative setting. However, do the dark buttons create a problem?
1.

This one I also think works, but it is a little heavier material than most of my dress shirts, and that makes me wonder. (The color isn't showing up true on my monitor, it is green, albeit a greyed green.)
2.

The next two, I'm not sure, so I'll just withhold my own comments for the moment.
3.

4.

 

[Geezer]

"I want shirts that can work with a suit, or at least with a SC and tie - not just weekend casual jacket and tie."

I'm English, so aim off for transatlantic differences.

Ignoring issues of cut and quality, and looking just at the cloth:

1: is OK but nothing special. A tie will cover the odd buttons.

2: shirts like this rarely look good with suits and ties.

3: nice. Versatile. Rather English.

4: is to me a casual weekend non-tie shirt. And bright green block stripes are very late 1980s.

Micro-checks are good.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by mikeH

OK, let me post a few specifics and see what comments they get. I'm posting pictures including the collar because that seems like it might be an important structural element, which is some of what I'm trying to figure out. Thanks for bearing with me.

I'm under the impression that this can work, and in fact would be acceptable in a conservative setting. However, do the dark buttons create a problem?
1.

If it has those dark buttons, it is not a shirt for business.

 

[wetnose]

Aside from fabric choice, you may also consider your choice of a collar too. Look at the movie inception for example - Cillian Murphy has a long lean face thus they used spread collars on him. Leonardo has a wider face and they used longer collars on him to good effect.

I like gingham in casual open neck shirts but it's a ***** coordinating with a tie in a dress setting.

 

[Patrologia]

OK, Thanks for all the input!

Originally Posted by Geezer

"I want shirts that can work with a suit, or at least with a SC and tie - not just weekend casual jacket and tie."

I'm English, so aim off for transatlantic differences.

Ignoring issues of cut and quality, and looking just at the cloth:

1: is OK but nothing special. A tie will cover the odd buttons.

2: shirts like this rarely look good with suits and ties.

3: nice. Versatile. Rather English.

4: is to me a casual weekend non-tie shirt. And bright green block stripes are very late 1980s.

Micro-checks are good.

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

If it has those dark buttons, it is not a shirt for business.

Sounds like #1 gets relegated to less important occasions. Maybe I could change the buttons and make it work, but probalby better just to get something that works from the outset.

The green stripes haven't been out much in quite a while, I may send it on to the thrift.

The blue and white I really like, but I think the collar looks casual because it looks small. Maybe I'll look for something similar in a different cut. I take "Rather English" as a compliment, and think it would go over well in academia.

Originally Posted by DerekS

im a big fan of medium gingham. I got a snag on my red and white picnic table cloth shirt and am heartbroken.

Originally Posted by wetnose

Aside from fabric choice, you may also consider your choice of a collar too. Look at the movie inception for example - Cillian Murphy has a long lean face thus they used spread collars on him. Leonardo has a wider face and they used longer collars on him to good effect.

I like gingham in casual open neck shirts but it's a ***** coordinating with a tie in a dress setting.

Also time to go shopping for gingham and micro-checks. I'll also have to hit a Redbox for Inception - I missed it in theaters. Satorial and Cinematic suggestions all at the same place!

Thanks guys